New Delhi: Delhi Police announced the arrest of Mohammad Shahnawaz, also known as Shafi Ujjama, a suspected Islamic State (IS) terrorist, along with two others, shedding light on his role as an engineer who allegedly operated terror camps across India. Shahnawaz, who was one of the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) most wanted terrorists, was apprehended by the Delhi Police Special Cell in the national capital.
The other two arrested terrorists have been identified as Rizwan and Arshad. According to officials, Shahnawaz had ties to an IS module, and he had managed to escape from Pune Police custody, subsequently residing in Delhi. Delhi Police stated, "A mining engineer by profession, Shahnawaz was arrested from an area in southeast Delhi," during a press conference. Rizwan Ashraf was arrested in Lucknow, and Arshad in Muradabad. Special Commissioner of Police Delhi, HGS Dhaliwal, highlighted that the Special Cell had been monitoring the Indian Mujahideen and IS kingpin for some time. "The main accused, Shahnawaz, was arrested with his two other partners this morning. Another accused, identified as Mohammad Rizwan, is absconding," he reported.
All the accused were presented before a special court and have been remanded to police custody for seven days. Dhaliwal explained, "When their hideouts were raided, different equipment to make explosives were recovered. Pistols, cartridges, and various literature for making bombs were also found." He added, "They (Mohammad Shahnawaz, Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf, and Arshad Warsi) conducted reconnaissance at various places in western and southern India. They procured materials, containers, and pipes for explosives. They received support and promotion from ISIS elements, establishing a PAN India footprint."
Shahnawaz, originally from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is a mining engineer. Interestingly, his wife, previously known as Basanti Patel, had converted to Islam and adopted the name Mariyam. Rizwan Ashraf holds a B-Tech degree from Aligarh University and is pursuing a course at Jamia Millia Islamia. Arshad is a religious scholar hailing from Azamgarh. The accused were allegedly planning to target VVIPs and had completed their studies while planning bomb blasts across different parts of the country.
Bihar Witnesses Alarming Surge in Dengue Cases with 6,146 in September
BSP Chief Mayawati Reiterates Distance from NDA and Opposition for Lok Sabha Elections